When I think up a review, I try to gather my thoughts at my initial listen, spend some time with it over a week or so, and then revisit it again months or a year thence. And this is for review purposes only, and not accounting for enjoyment.
I will very rarely look to other reviews to form a consensus on my thoughts. After all, this is just a blog of my appreciation of music at particular times in my life. My enjoyment isn't staked on others' views. Instead, reading a review is more for entertainment, usually for a turn of phrase or extra-musical insight.
But I couldn't help myself, for when I uploaded my own to Amazon, there were some doozys for this one. Apparently, someone has it out for Cherubini!
Here are some of my favorite bytes:
1. [...]I had become thoroughly annoyed[...]
2. Aired at low volume, they will be perfect for morning slots on Classic FM, BBC Radio 3, and the dentist’s waiting room.
3. I don’t think we need any more Cherubini ‘discoveries’.
So when approaching a recording titled Discoveries, I understand some listeners querying works having a fair amount of recordings of them, in this case with such luminaries as Toscanini and Markevitch at the helm. But, I could 'discover' a Toscanini recording in 2024, some 75+ years later, and it is still a discovery for this listener. The use of 'Discovery' seems to be a major talking point, one which really doesn't need an airing out here.
The rest are jabs at Cherubini's music living in Beethoven's shadow. Whose isn't?!? Sure, this sunny, conservative symphony was composed around Beethoven's famous 9th, and sure it pales in comparison, but what does it merit on its own?
With Chailly's sprightly, sunny performance, the Symphony in D almost sounds a precursor to Mendelssohn. And while not all of the marches are gold medal winners, neither am I; yet here I am. Spoiler: the Marches with the gong are the best ones.
Well, any way about it, I think this is a nice collection, played with warmth by the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra. Will listening to this recording drag you into a dark corner putting you in an uncomfortable situation? No. Will its discoveries change your life? It depends on how you feel about Ice Cream...
A review from 2024
Most of Riccardo Chailly’s recording of Cherubini’s ‘discoveries’ is dedicated to the composer’s 30-minute Symphony in D and the 10-minute Overture in G. The rest of the program is filled with 10 short Occasional Marches, four for orchestra and six for wind ensemble.
Chailly approaches Cherubini’s Symphony in the same manner he would Mendelssohn with the Gewandhaus - spirited and energetic, with a generally sunny attitude. I can’t say the work is filled with memorable tunes, but it is very affable, as is the Overture which precedes it.
The marches are the unknown works, although the best are the orchestral ones - the three funeral marches and the coronation march. Who knew the gong was associated with funerals, but Cherubini finds ways for it to sound out in his Requiem and in these marches. The others are for wind groups, and their memorability and effectiveness simmer at a rather low temperature.Having all of these rarer works together is a treat, although in some of these cases you can find the likes of Toscanini and Markevitch in this music, so don’t treat ‘Discoveries’ as never heard.
Listen on YouTube
Works
10 Occasional Marches
Symphony in D Major (32.07)
Overture in G Major (10.37)
Performers
La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Label: Decca
Year: 2020
Total Timing: 74.25
A beautifully played, spirited account of Cherubini's lesser-played orchestral music.
Are they all winners? No. Does this lessen the quality? No. Can I have Ice Cream? Did you bring money?!?
Find more Cherubini recordings HERE!
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